


A Valentine and a Mystery

by Bytes



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Love Confessions, M/M, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:20:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22780096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bytes/pseuds/Bytes
Summary: Yosuke resolves to make chocolates for the investigation team, more specifically; Yu. Things go a tad off the rails when he discovers an anonymous love confession specifically addressed to him when he gets to school that morning. Who's this mystery valentine? Can Yosuke muster the courage to give Yu a special gift on the holiday of love?(You read the tags. You know the answers. Just enjoy some cliche fluffy goodness.)
Relationships: Hanamura Yosuke/Narukami Yu, Hanamura Yosuke/Seta Souji
Comments: 16
Kudos: 204





	A Valentine and a Mystery

**Author's Note:**

> Yep thats me. Fashionably late with all my last minute holiday themed fics. I may be stupid

Ugh, Valentines Day. Yosuke had spent the past few nights leading up to the holiday trying to prepare himself, but it was no use. This celebration of love was nothing but a taunt for guys like him, having to sit and watch as girls fawned over other guys and give them chocolate. The only chocolate Yosuke would be receiving would probably come from his friends. The thought of Chie or Yukiko anywhere near the kitchen sent a chill up his spine though. If they had made any chocolates, he prayed for the recipients.

Speaking of friendship chocolate, Yosuke had actually bought some for his friends from Junes. It was something he’d never done before. Sure he had friends back in the city, but if he had presented them with chocolate, he would’ve been laughed at and called gay. But the group in Inaba was much different. They weren’t just friends, they were a family. So what’s the harm in giving everyone a gift? Sure they were store bought, but it was more the gesture than anything else, right?

However, there was one bag of chocolate in particular he was putting more care and attention to: Yu’s. He had even gone as far as to bake some cookies for Yu’s. His reasons for doing so, he didn’t want to think too hard about. But Yu- his partner- was extra special to him, so he wanted to let him know in a more subtle way. He didn’t exactly know how Yu would take it, but Yosuke was prepared for quite a few scenarios that he had thought out in his head. It would be fine. That’s what he told himself as he tied a red ribbon around the opening of the bag with care, anyway.

Things already were not fine before Yosuke even made it to school- he overslept! This sent him scrambling to get ready, getting dressed and packing up the gifts for his friends before rushing out the front door with a muffled goodbye to his mom and Teddie in the kitchen. He had a piece of toast in his mouth like an anime girl or something. Well, the cliche had to come from somewhere, right?

He flew down the street on his rickety yellow bike, praying to whatever deity that was watching over him to not let him crash into a trash can. Again. The only time that it had been  _ okay _ was when it resulted in him meeting Yu that fateful morning. His partner in shining armor, who pulled him from the trash…

Anyway. Thankfully he didn’t wreck on his piece of junk bike and made it to school safely with a minute before home room would start. Shit, this wasn’t much time to give his friends their chocolates. And he had hoped to be somewhere more private to give Yu his, but it couldn’t be helped.

Stumbling into the classroom, Yosuke was greeted with the sight of Chie throwing up her arms and shouting, “and the Junes Boy makes it with only moments to spare!” in a mocking tone.

“Oh shut up, I had extra stuff to do this morning!” Yosuke barked back as he shuffled past her to get to his seat.

“We were about to conclude you weren’t coming to school at all today,” Yukiko piped up to admit.

“Yeah! Too ashamed because you knew no girl would confess their love to you today, right?” the kung-fu enthusiast teased.

“Hey! I-

-Yeah, yeah. Look. We brought you some chocolates just so you wouldn’t feel bad. But from the looks of it…” Chie trailed off and leaned back in her seat to look past Yosuke, specifically at his desk. “...You already got something!”

“Huh? I’m not in the mood for jokes, Chie,” Yosuke grumbled as he turned around. Sure enough, places neatly on the center of his desk was a bundle of chocolates resting on top of a small, sealed envelope. It looked like it had been made and placed with care. He felt his cheeks flare up with heat for a moment before the rational side of his brain took over, his gaze darting back over to Chie. “Ha-ha. Very funny. It’s a prank you guys set up, right?”

“What? No! That was there when we got there! Right, Yukiko?”

“Yes, it was surprising… but I promise it was neither of us,” the girl with the silky black hair confirmed.

“Really..? And hey, what do you mean surprising?!” Yosuke huffed.

“I’ll have to back them up on this…” came a familiar voice from behind him. Yosuke turned around to see Yu, who had been quietly watching the shenanigans of his friends play out. “It was there before they got here.”

“See! Sheesh, we’re not that cruel…” Chie grumbled, crossing her arms defiantly. “Well? You gonna check it out? We’ve been dying to know who the culprit is!”

“Get your nose out of my business, Satonaka!” the brunette warned, turning back around and swiping the chocolates and letter off his desk. “This was written for me, not me and you guys!”

“Oh, come on! I-

-Perhaps we should let him be. If it’s a confession, the writer probably doesn’t want us all snooping. This could be a very important moment for Yosuke…” Yukiko interrupted, placing a delicate hand on Chie’s shoulder to calm her down.

“Ugh… I hate it when you’re right.”

Before Yosuke could even begin to open the chocolates, the intercom crackled to life, blaring the usual morning bell to signal the beginning of class. “Dammit..!”

Well, there was no way he was going to read what was potentially a love confession in the middle of class. For now, the chocolates and letter would have to be stored away with reluctance. And of course, they caused Yosuke’s brain to go haywire the whole time. There was absolutely no way he could focus when he knew there was a mysterious Valentine’s letter carefully stowed in his backpack, begging to be read! Thankfully, Yu had his back when their teacher called on him to answer questions he totally was not listening to. Just another bullet point on the list of things he was grateful to his partner for. He’d have to properly thank him sometime.

Lunch break could not have come any slower. Surely there was a time god messing with him for the sheer enjoyment of his agony. As soon as the class was dismissed Yosuke sprang up, tense and ready to sprint somewhere private to relieve the burning curiosity that has tormented him all morning. He only made it a few steps before a voice spoke up, stopping him in his tracks.

“Yosuke.” The smooth, level voice came from that of his partner. His name had a way of rolling off of Yu’s tongue that he never wanted to stop hearing. So attention grabbing, he momentarily forgot his quest in lieu of turning around to answer his friend’s inquiry. 

“Yeah?”

“The group is meeting up in the courtyard to have lunch together. I made bentos for everyone.”

He felt his mouth immediately water. “Oh hell yeah, dude. I just…”

Yu flashed him a very faint smile. It was more a relaxing of his features, a reassuring look that Yosuke had learned to read during their time together. “You’ve got something to attend to, yeah. Meet us when you’re done, I’ll have your lunch waiting.”

He couldn’t help but smile back at him. What a guy. “Thanks, partner. You’re the best.” If he hadn’t turned around and left so quickly, he would’ve caught the faint blush that dusted his usually blank-faced companion. 

Yosuke determined the most private place to see what this gift was all about once and for all would be the roof. Hopefully there would be no one else up there trying to have a romantic moment. That sure would be awkward.

Thankfully, sight of no such thing crossed his gaze as he pushed open the heavy metal door leading to the roof he usually spent time eating with Yu at. With a heave of his backpack, he carefully extracted the chocolates and letter and gave them a once over. The chocolates were definitely homemade, he’d stocked enough store bought chocolate at Junes to know the difference after all. This was quite elaborate if it really was just a prank…

He sucked on his teeth for a moment, taking a deep breath through his nose to steel his nerves. Well, here goes nothing he supposed. The envelope was sealed with a sticker: a frog one to be exact. It vaguely reminded him of his persona, but surely it was a coincidence. Using the nail on his thumb, he carefully peeled it back just enough to unseal the envelope without ripping it or the sticker. If this  _ was _ a love confession, the start of an epic romance, this would be something they could look fondly back upon! ‘Remember when you gave me a valentine back in highschool?’, ‘I sure do! I’m so glad it worked, I love you so much, Yosuke!’ Ok, anyway. He was getting ahead of himself here. Focus on the present.

Inside the envelope was a small letter written on some nice stationary. The handwriting itself was neat and elegant, surely the work of a girl! He eagerly began reading.

_ Yosuke, _

_ I apologize, as I know this is very cliché. _

_ But as someone who has no experience with this sort of thing, this holiday serves as my excuse to tell you how I feel. _

_ You are very special to me. You never fail to brighten up my mood, you are like a living embodiment of the sun. Never stop smiling, it’s contagious I’ll have you know. You’ve brought out feelings in me I did not know I was capable of.  _

_ I really like you. _

_ Unfortunately, I am aware that you will probably never feel the same way towards me and that’s fine, I’ve accepted it. I will always support you from the sidelines, as your happiness is enough for me. _

_ Happy Valentine’s Day. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Your Secret Admirer _

_ P.S. I suppose that’s what I’d be called, right? A secret admirer? Haha. I hope you enjoy the chocolates. :) _

Yosuke felt his cheeks grow warm as he continued to read the letter. Biting the inside of his cheek, he stared at the neatly written signature from the author of the letter.  _ Your Secret Admirer _ . Half of him was over the moon that someone  _ liked _ him and has alluded to liking him for some time now! The other half was scanning his brain for any ideas on who the mystery writer could be.

Of course, he couldn’t think of anyone that fit the criteria. As much as it embarrassed him, perhaps his friends would be able to provide some insight. Carefully he put the letter back in its envelope and stowed it and the chocolates back in his backpack before heading off to the courtyard where Yu said they had been waiting.

Sure enough, the group was pretty easy to spot considering all of its members were colorful in their own ways. Even Teddie was there?! Yosuke jogged up, giving the bear a confused look. “Ted! What’re you doing at school?”

“I couldn’t miss this beary special day!” he exclaimed before piling another mouthful of food in his mouth.

“I had a feeling he would find his way here so I made him a bento too,” Yu explained, patting a spot in the grass next to him.

“How on earth did you manage to prepare all this food and bring it to school, partner?” the brunette inquired as he plopped down next to Yu. He was always sitting next to him at these gatherings, wasn’t he?

“The preparation part was fine, I did it last night. I did have to call in a favor from someone in the cooking club to let me use their fridge.” That being said, he presented Yosuke with his very own, which was eagerly received.

“Well I’m not gonna complain, I’ve been practically drooling since you told me about it!” he beamed as he opened it. Greeted with rice balls along with some steamed vegetables, the Junes prince let out a happy chrome. “Looks delicious, dude! Thanks!”

“Sooooo, Yosuke….” Chie piped up. She was already finished with her food, but had been engaged in a discussion with Yukiko, Rise, Naoto and Kanji. “Did ya read that love letter yet?”

Rise and Teddie both gasped, looking over to Yosuke with wide eyes. “Senpai, you got a love letter?!”

“Yosuke, you beast!! You didn’t tell me you were scoring with someone!!” the small blonde added, placing his hands on his cheeks in a mock shocked face.

“Hey, hey! Geez…” he huffed, crossing his arms. “Look, I did get a valentine. Some chocolates and a letter.”

“It’s true, Chie and I were quite surprised to see it on his desk this morning!” Yukiko added before shoveling a bite of vegetables into her mouth.

“You don’t gotta rub it in how shocked you are, you know!”

“Okay, but who wrote it? What did it say?” Rise squealed.

“That’s the thing! The person never said who they were! They just called themselves my secret admirer..” Yosuke sighed. “But I’m pretty sure it was a.. confession.”

“Damn, Senpai,” Kanji grunted, sounding rather impressed. “You really have no idea who it is?”

“Nope. I wish I did… do you guys have any ideas?”

“I have some ideas…” Naoto murmured, placing a hand to her chin thoughtfully. “May we see this letter?”

Yosuke flushed and averted his gaze. “I don’t think it’s something they want shared around… it did get a little… erm, well, yeah. I don’t really wanna expose them like that, you know?”

“...I see.” Though Naoto sounded a little disappointed, she nodded her head in understanding. “Can you at least divulge any details that could point towards the sender?”

“Uh… sure. Their handwriting was really neat and the chocolates were homemade, packed up nicely.”

“So someone who is neat and orderly,” Naoto mused.

“Yeah, seems like it. They also sounded like they’ve been around me before… maybe a classmate?” Yosuke offered.

“That could be the case. It was already there when Chie-Senpai and Yukiko-Senpai arrived…” she trailed off, turning to Yu. “To store the bentos you made in the cooking club’s fridge, it’s safe to assume you got here pretty early, Yu-Senpai?”

“Ah.. yeah, it was pretty early.”

“Was the Valentine already on Senpai’s desk when you entered the classroom?”

Yu seemed to remain quiet for a moment. He was pondering something. Perhaps recalling something so early in the morning was difficult? It wasn’t like him to be unobservant however. Finally he answered, “..no, it wasn’t.”

“So do you have any clue who left it there? Did you see them?”

“..I have an idea, yes,” he replied quietly.

“Well? Spill the beans! Who’s the future Ms. Hanamura, huh?” Rise chirped excitedly.

“I’d prefer not to put them on the spot like that. There’s probably a reason they wanted to remain anonymous, after all. I’m sorry.” Yu bowed his head, his apology warning a groan from Rise, Teddie and Chie while Naoto stared at him.

“...I see. Well, we shouldn’t push it.”

“Huh? It ain’t like ya to drop a mystery like that, Naoto,” Kanji observed.

“I have my reasons. I hypothesize the answer will become clear soon enough,” she said vaguely before returning to her lunch.

The love letter discussion quickly reached a dead end, everyone seeming just as clueless as Yosuke was, aside from Naoto and Yu who had politely refused to be part of the conversation for some reason. The lunch was delicious however, putting Yosuke at ease a little. After that, everyone began exchanging gifts. Kanji presented everyone with some hand-knitted dolls reminiscent of their personas. It was still a little strange, but he really was working on being more open minded.

Rise brought some dango from her family’s store, while Chie and Yukiko brought chocolates they assured were store bought so no one had to fear for their life. Naoto didn’t bring anything to which she seemed quite embarrassed about. It took quite a bit of reassuring that it was totally okay. Teddie presented everyone with a clump of his ‘fur’, insisting it was ‘beary special.’ Last up was Yosuke, who sheepishly handed out the chocolates, sans Yu’s.

When he got to him, he felt himself panic a little. “Sorry, I hope you don’t think this is weird but… uh..” he trailed off, slumping his shoulders a little. Why was he getting so choked up?

“Aww don’t be shy, Yosuke! Sensei’s gotten lots of valentines from girls already!”

“W-Wha?!” he sputtered to a Yu who suddenly looked a little embarrassed.

“Ah.. yeah, I found a few gifts in my shoe locker this morning… and a few girls gave me things, asking if I’d like to be their valentine and whatnot…”

“For real, dude? Damn…” He wasn’t surprised, but jealousy did flicker inside of him for a brief moment. Strangely, the jealousy wasn’t directed towards Yu, but rather.. the girls for having the confidence. “...So what’d you do?”

“I politely declined.”

“Seriously?!” Yosuke found himself squawking. “You know how many dudes would kill to be in your shoes?”

“Mm, well… I didn’t want to be deceitful and accept a valentine from someone I don’t love, right?”

Rise let out a dramatic sigh. “Oh, senpai… you leave a trail of broken hearts wherever you go, don’t you?”

“Do I…?”

“Surely there’s someone you wouldn’t turn down, right?” Rise asked, sounding a bit hopeful.

“Er, well…” Yu trailed off, shaking his head. “That’s… a hard question. I’m not good at that sort of thing.”

“So you do have someone in mind?!”

Yu cleared his throat and turned back to Yosuke, dismissing the conversation. “Anyway… sorry for the interruption. You were saying..?”

“Oh, uhh… right. Well…” He brought up a hand and tugged at the collar of his shirt because it suddenly felt way too tight. “It isn’t some fancy valentine like I’m sure those girls were giving you, but…” He swallowed hard before sheepishly holding up the bag of chocolates and biscuit cookies he’d taken care in assembling. “I didn’t make the chocolates, but I did make an attempt and did the cookies myself, I’m sure you could do way better but I tried, alright?” he sputtered out as he pushed them into Yu’s hands.

“Yosuke…” Yu breathed, staring between him and the chocolates for a few moments. Meanwhile, Yosuke was bracing himself for the worst. He was about to apologize, but the silver haired leader spoke before he could. “I can’t believe you did this all for me. Thank you…” He looked genuinely pleased. Everyone around them were watching the two with intent, not daring to spoil the moment. 

“Ah, well, it was no big deal..! I just wanted to do something since you’re special to me after all. Haha… you really like it?”

“I do,” he assured, gently untying the ribbon and plucking a cookie from the assortment. Yosuke suddenly felt like he was being judged on a cooking show as he watched his partner pop it into his mouth.

“L-Like I said, I’m no chef or anything, only reason these are edible is because I was following along with a baking show and-

“They’re wonderful.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Really. I’m impressed.”

Yosuke grinned bashfully and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “Haha… well I’m glad, partner.”

“Yosuke! Sensei turned down all those sweets from pretty girls but he accepted yours! That’s amazing!” Teddie chirped.

“Shh! Don’t ruin their moment!” Rise hissed through her teeth, clamping her hand over the hyperactive bear’s mouth.

“W-Well…! We’re partners after all, we have a special bond!” Yosuke protested, feeling his cheeks heat up. Deep down though, he was very happy that Yu accepted his gift.

The rest of lunch went by normally, with everyone chatting and snacking. It was peaceful like this. No murders to worry about, no tension in the air. Just a group of friends enjoying each other’s company. It was nice, truly.

Yu excused himself early, explaining he was going to go wash and store the bento boxes before class resumed. Yosuke couldn’t help but offer to assist him under the guise of showing thanks for the meal, but really he just wanted to spend some time alone with him. He could confide in Yu in ways he couldn’t with the others. He seemed hesitant to accept for a moment, insisting he didn’t mind cleaning by himself, but he didn’t put up much of a fight after being hit with the Hanamura puppy dog eyes.

The pair headed over to the elective building and into the home ec room. They got into a routine, with Yu washing and Yosuke drying. 

“I am stuuuuuffed. You really outdid yourself, Yu!” He made a show of patting his stomach while his friend gave a soft chuckle.

“Not really… I think you’re the one who outdid yourself, Yosuke.”

“You made lunch for everyone! All I did was make you some cookies.”

“They’re good cookies. Plus, you don’t cook.”

“Yeah, well, I make exceptions for you, partner.” Perhaps that statement had a deeper meaning, but he didn’t elaborate.

“Oh yeah?” Yu quirked a brow, giving him a brief sideways glance.

“Yeah.” Giving an awkward cough to clear his throat, he wondered if Yu had read into that more than he intended.

“I’m honored, then. To be your exception.”

Geez, what did that mean? Feeling his cheeks warm up, Yosuke chose to remain silent and focus on drying the bento boxes Yu handed him so his brain could cool off.

That couldn’t keep him quiet for long, though. “Say, partner… what do you think of that valentine I got? I know you said you didn’t want to expose anyone, but like… you can tell me! I won’t say anything to the rest of them, the curiosity is just killing me.”

“Well… sounds like they’re afraid you wouldn’t return their feelings if you knew who they were,” he mused.

“I’d really like to meet them, at least…” Yosuke sighed. “You’ll never know the answer if you don’t give them a chance to give you one, after all!”

“...That is true,” he replied thoughtfully.

The rest of the dishwashing session was relatively quiet, and soon it was time to return to class. Perhaps the mystery of the anonymous Valentine’s Day love letter would remain that was forever… or so Yosuke thought.

Upon his arrival to the classroom, he discovered a neatly folded note left for him on his desk. Thankfully, Chie and Yukiko had failed to notice it thus far so he quickly, but discreetly snatched it off his desk and turned away from anyone’s prying eyes.

Written out on notebook paper rather quickly was a message.

_ Yosuke, _

_ I’m sorry for not telling you who I am. _

_ I’m just scared of your rejection. _

_ But you deserve to know the truth so, _

_ please meet me after school on the roof.  _

_ I’ll explain everything to you.  _

_ I just hope you won’t hate me. _

_ With nervous anticipation, _

_ Your Secret Admirer _

With disbelief and shock clear on his face, he turned to Yu. “Dude.. check out what I just got. It’s from mystery crush x.” He presented the note to Yu, who looked over it with a blank expression before nodding.

“Looks like you’ll be able to solve this mystery after all.”

“If they don’t chicken out.”

“Hm. You’re doubting them?”

“Well, I don’t know anything about them, so… I dunno.”

“They seem to want you to be open minded.”

“Yeah… geez, I’m all nervous now. There’s no way I’m gonna be able to focus in class!”

“Do you ever do so anyway?”

“Okay, you’ve got me there. Didn’t have to be so blunt about it though! Besides, when you’ve got a study buddy as good as you, I don’t have to worry. As much.”

“What would you do if I wasn’t here?”

It was a joke question, sure. But truly thinking about it made his heart sink a little. “God, dude… I don’t even wanna think about it. I’d be miserable.”

“You hate taking notes that much?”

“What? No. I just can’t imagine my life without you in it, ya know?” He blinked, realizing how that sounded so he quickly added, “a-and the rest of the team! Haha… yeah…”

Before Yu could even respond, the chime indicating the lunch period was over sounded out and everyone began returning to their seats. Yosuke caught a glimpse of his partner making an expression he couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t a bad one, but he didn’t know what was going on in that head of his nor could he ask now as the next teacher entered the room to begin the next lecture.

Just as expected, Yosuke couldn’t focus for the life of him. Between mentally punching himself in the face for saying those embarrassing things to Yu and the mystery valentine, he thought his head was going to explode by the time the school day came to an end. Everyone began leaving except for the caramel haired teen, who remained in his chair as he tried to keep his breathing under control.

“You alright?” Yu asked quietly as he stood to leave.

“Y-Yeah, just nervous, haha. Just need a minute to psych myself up.”

“Mm. Well, I’ll see you.”

“See ya, dude.” He held up a hand and gave a small wave as Yu exited the room, leaving his friend to his panic.

Running through the scenarios in his head, he tried to prepare himself. There was a possibility they weren’t his type and he’d have to politely turn them down, but it sure would feel bad. Something has to be up if they were this hesitant to confess. And there was only one way Yosuke was going to find out.

He’d fought horrific monsters in another world and survived nearly dying on multiple occasions, why on earth was he this nervous? He asked himself this as he quietly made his way towards the stairwell leading up to the roof. He’s been working in customer service too, he’s dealt with just about every kind of person! Nothing could be worse than that, right?

Those thoughts brought him some comfort as he ascended the staircase. His footsteps seemed extra loud now. Or perhaps that was the thundering of his heart, he couldn’t tell anymore. Deep breaths, Yosuke.

A slightly shaky hand reached out to push the door open. If the mystery valentine hadn’t changed their mind, he would soon know their identity. Someone who harbors feelings for him, huh..? If this had happened last year, he would’ve been completely gung-ho about it. Why did he hesitate now?

This was not the time for freaking out. Someone had to be very brave to confess so now it was his turn to man up. He shook his head to clear it before pushing open the heavy metal door.

His attention immediately snapped to the sole figure standing on the opposite side of the roof, back turned to him. He knew that figure. He knew it well.

It was Yu.

He slowly made his way across the rooftop, his usually crowded mind blank for once. He stopped a couple of yards away from him. “Yu..?”

“Yosuke,” the silver haired boy breathed, not turning around.

“You’re…?”

“Yes. I’m your secret admirer.”

Yosuke waited for a punchline, for him to turn around and laugh and tell him the whole thing was a prank, but he didn’t. His head spun as he tried to come up with something, anything he could say in response. But the words just weren’t coming. Instead, he let out a breath and gripped the sleeves of his coat.

“...I’m sorry.”

“Huh?” That broke him from his silence. “Why are you apologizing..?”

“I’m sure you’re disappointed.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean..?” he asked in confusion, turning ever so slightly to look at Yosuke out of the corner of his eye. “I’m not some pretty girl. I’m not even a girl at all.”

“...Yeah.”

“And I know how you feel about that kind of thing, it’s quite obvious from the way you treated Kanji back when we first met him… I just—  _ Shit _ , Yosuke.” He turned around, meeting his best friend’s hazel eyes. Yosuke noted with surprise that there were tears beginning to form in his. He’d only seen Yu cry once, and that was when they thought Nanako had died back in December. “I couldn’t help it, I’ve tried and tried to hide these feelings, the last thing I want is to upset you, but I—

“—Hey. Please, breathe.” Yosuke interrupted calmly, holding up a hand. “Did you… really mean everything you said in that letter..?”

“..Yes. I did,” he confirmed before averting his gaze. “I-I’ve never felt anything like this… everything about you is so…  _ you _ . I couldn’t stop myself from… falling in love with my best friend.” He laughed sadly, looking off at the horizon to his side. “I didn’t want to scare you away, but… I understand if you don’t want to be around me anymore.”

Yosuke swallowed hard before starting, “partner.” Yu said nothing, instead closing his eyes as if resigning himself to the fate he was convinced would happen.

“Hey.” He approached the other male, who made no attempt to back away or do anything, really. “Yu. Look at me. I’m not upset with you, yeah? So please…” Gently he reached out and placed a hand on Yu’s warm cheek, ever so slightly beckoning him to look back his way.

The sudden touch caused Yu to seize up, but he did look back at Yosuke, who was now very close to him. He couldn’t help but savor the warmth of his hand, even if he wasn’t brave enough to lean into it. “You aren’t..?”

“No. In fact, I… I’m glad,” the Magician admitted.

Now it was Yu’s turn to be surprised. “Huh..?”

“I already told you before, didn't I...? You’re special to me, so… can I add ‘valentine’ to the list of things I call you..?” he offered, trying to lighten up the mood by being a bit goofy.

The Fool blinked, gazing into those soft brown eyes for a time before a grin crawled its way onto his face and he let out a quick, but genuine laugh. “Oh my god.”

“Hey! The hell are you laughing for?? I was trying to be smooth!”

“Sorry, sorry, I just…!”

“You’re an ass, you know that? I bake you cookies, I make you a special valentines gift— which the only reason I was scared of doing was ‘cause I was worried I’d make  _ you _ uncomfortable by the way— and you’re gonna laugh at me now when I respond to your feelings?” Yosuke exclaimed in a fake exasperated voice. “You’re the one doing this dramatic anonymous Valentine’s Day confession, dragging me up here to the roof like it’s a goddamn anime! I shoulda known this was your doing, you dramatic little—

Yu was laughing wholeheartedly now, leaning into Yosuke’s hand and gripping the sides of his coat to keep himself steady. The sight and sound was absolutely beautiful. “Okay, okay, I get it..! No need to bully me..!”

“Oh no partner, I sure as hell am gonna bully you! Who do you think you are, stressing me out all day with your perfect face and personality and literally everything else! Causing me so much trouble… so I’m gonna ask you again!”

“A-Ask me what, hm?~” Yu hummed, trying quite hard to contain himself.

“Will you be my valentine, dumbass?”

“Wow, so romantic..!”

“Answer the question, Narukami!” he play-shouted at Yu, slightly shaking him like it was an interrogation.

“Yes! There’s nothing I would like more!” he exclaimed back with just as much emotion.

“Good!” Yosuke laughed back, hesitantly testing the waters by placing his hands on Yu’s waist. The other boy smiled at him encouragingly, so we went ahead and pulled him against him in an embrace. Every single inch of himself that made contact with his partner felt like it was on fire, but in a good way.

“...I’m so relieved,” he admitted, relaxing in Yosuke’s arms. “That was the scariest thing I’ve done.”

“More scary than fighting a literal god, dude?”

“Yep, for sure.”

“...Did you really think I’d hate you for…?”

“...Yes, if I’m being honest,” he admitted, his features hardening a little. “You’re the first person I’ve truly bonded with in my entire life. Losing you over my feelings would be way more painful, so I hid them and—

Yu was cut off when Yosuke abruptly leaned in and kissed him. It was brief, but enchanting. It wasn’t like kissing a girl, no, but the warmth that spread over him and the tingling in his lips that sent sparks straight to his heart only reinforced his feelings. Yu looked starstruck as their lips parted, words completely forgotten.

“Probably should’ve asked first, sorry. I hope that was alright, heh…”

“...Is it,” he started quietly. “Is it really okay?”

“Is what okay?”

“This. Us. You really..?”

“Dude, I just kissed you and you’re still worried that I don’t want this?” He blinked, his face growing red as the realization of his actions hit him. “Oh my god I really did just do that, huh?”

“...You did.”

“Was that okay…?”

Yu looked away shyly, a small smile forming on his blushing face. “It was more than okay. I’ve wanted this for so long… I was convinced it would never happen. But it is. Thank you…”

“...I’m really sorry that I acted the way I did. I was such an ass… honestly, I was just scared of myself I think. Scared of even considering…”

“What changed your mind?”

“You. I… I have a lot of figuring out I gotta do about myself and all that, but… I like you. I was just… really scared to admit that.”

“And I’ll be here for you. Always.”

“Damn… I’ve always considered myself pretty unlucky, but maybe I just used it all up to get the best partner ever.”

“Mm, no… I just stole it all so I could meet you.”

“Oh my god that was cheesy.”

“I seem to be pretty good at cheesy,” the Fool mused fondly.

Yosuke let out a chuckle, shaking his head. “...Happy Valentines Day, Yu.”


End file.
